2018 Summer UPDATE

THE FUTURE ISSUE / SUMMER 2018 OPERATIONS ISSUE / SUMMER 2014

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INSIDE

Illinois Association of School Business Officials UPDATE Magazine / Summer 2018 / v.25 / i.04

THE FUTURE ISSUE

THE BUSINESS OFFICE OF THE FUTURE

update

FACILITIES ISSUE / FALL 2018

INDISPENSABLE TOOL for SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

FROM THE

GROUND UP

How Facilities Affect Everything

THE NEXT ISSUE: FACILITIES ISSUE From the Ground Up: How facilities affect everything.

Managing the district of the future is going to be a lot harder, because what is being asked of our schools is a lot more challenging. To rise to this challenge, the business office will have to evolve as well.

Cover Story by Nathan Levenson

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LOOKING FOR PAST ISSUES? Visit ISSUU.com and search for Illinois ASBO.

In response to the ever-changing technologies and information access, libraries will continue to evolve, but remain valuable as spaces to learn and explore.

By Todd Burleson

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PERSPECTIVE

FROM-THE-PODIUM Planning for the Future of Education. 07

FROM-THE-OFFICE Adapting to a Changing World.

09

FROM-THE-FIELD Facing the Unknown: The Leader’s Challenge. 11

WHERE ARE WE NOW? LEGAL UPDATES CONCERNING TRANSGENDER STUDENTS As with any developing area of the law, guidance on this topic is rapidly evolving. However, it is clear that transgender students should neither be stigmatized nor ignored.

By Brandon K. Wright and Christine G. Christensen

18

ACROSS-THE-GLOBE Meet Your Future ASBO International Director. 14

SCHOOL BUSINESS 101 Millennials in the Business Office: Challenging the status quo, taking risks and bringing new ideas. 15

THE ROI OF

AUTOMATION

As technology becomes more pervasive and affordable, automation of business office functions is an increasingly attractive and effective tactic.

By Anton Inglese, SFO, CETL

28

BRINGING YOUR DATA TO LIFE RESOURCES The amount of education data captured and expectations for transparency are growing. Being able to distill this data into easily-consumed visualizations is becoming even more critical.

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By Stephen W. Miller and Wes Karsten

ON MY LIST The Compound Effect Turn Life Goals into Habits.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY:

ADAPTING TO DIVERSE STUDENT NEEDS

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Because our society is rich in diversity, cultural awareness has become increasingly important.

Our job as administrators is to make sure all children, no matter their background, feel safe and have equitable opportunities to succeed.

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By Ryan Berry

The Final Word Trevor J. Moore CSBO Student

An up and coming school business official, Trevor looks forward to being a part of a group that values colleagues and information sharing like he has not seen elsewhere. While this is not exclusive to school business officials, he would like to see administrators take on a more supportive and service-oriented role in districts.

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RESOURCES: Prepare for what's next.

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THE

MAGA ZINE Illinois Association of School Business Officials

CALENDAR OF

Northern Illinois University, IA-103 108 Carroll Avenue DeKalb, IL 60115-2829 P: (815) 753-1276 / F: (815) 516-0184 / www.iasbo.org

EVENTS

UPDATE Editorial Advisory Board

Check out www.iasbo.org or the latest Calendar of Events included in the UPDATE mailing for full seminar listings including location and PDC sponsorship and register for professional development today.

June June2018 2014

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PDC MEMBERS Ryan Berry Legal Issues Patrick S. Browne Sustainability Catherine H. Chang Food Service Seth Chapman Budgeting & Financial Planning Yasmine Dada Principles of School Finance Eric DePorter Human Resource Management Jeff E. Feyerer Leadership Development Kathy Gavin Special Education Sean Gordon Maintenance & Operations Rich Hendricks Cash Management Anton Inglese Technology Stephen Johns Planning & Construction Tim Keeley Purchasing John Lavelle Risk Management Stacey Mallek Accounting, Auditing & Financial Reporting Patrick McDermott Public Policy Michael Schroeder Transportation

Location

Online AAC#1870 - Optimizing Transport Operations, Claim Processes, & Safe Transport of Students

BOARD & EXTERNAL RELATIONS MEMBERS David H. Hill, Ed.D. President Anne Noble SAAC Chair

Online

AT-LARGE MEMBERS Mike Johann Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators

9:00am

Online AAC #1886 - What Went Wrong: How to Avoid Special Ed Litigation

Online

6/12/18

9:00am

Online AAC #1812 - What Connected Leaders Do Differently

Online

6/13/18

8:30am

LIFO Assessment to Grow Leadership & Communications Skills - AAC #1500

6/14/18

9:00am

Online AAC #1560 - Responding to Crisis: Mental Health & Wellness in Schools

6/14/18

8:00am

NextGen SBO Summit

Date

Time

6/5/18

9:00am

6/8/18

Event

Naperville Online Burr Ridge

6/15/18 6/27/18

8:00am

School District Auditing Webinar

6/28/18

1:30pm

PDC Networking Meeting / New Connections Happy Hour

7/17/18 7/18/18 7/19/18

9:00am

Seminar on School Finance - AAC #1062

7/17/18 7/18/18 7/19/18

9:00am

ISDLAF+ School Finance Seminar - Naperville

Naperville East Peoria O'Fallon

8/1/18

9:00am

Online AAC#1870 - Optimizing Transport Operations, Claim Processes, & Safe Transport of Students

Online

8/6/18

1:00pm

Presidents' Cup Golf Tournament

Stonebridge Country Club

9/14/18

1:00pm

Presidents' Gala

Arlington International Racecourse

9/19/18

8:00am

Facilities Operations Program: Essentials of Facilities Management

9/21 9/25/18

8:00am

ASBO International Annual Meeting & Expo

Online Schaumburg Naperville East Peoria O'Fallon

Lisle Kissimmee, FL

STAFF MEMBERS Michael Jacoby Executive Director / CEO (815) 753-9366, mjacoby@iasbo.org Susan P. Bertrand Deputy Executive Director / COO (815) 753-9368, sbertrand@iasbo.org Craig Collins Statewide Professional Development Coordinator, (630) 442-9203, ccollins@iasbo.org Rebekah L. Weidner Senior Copywriter / Content Strategist, (815) 753-9270, rweidner@iasbo.org Tammy Curry Senior Graphic Designer (815) 753-9393, tcurry@iasbo.org John Curry Graphic Designer / Videographer (815) 753-7654, jcurry@iasbo.org Zack Hildebrand Membership & Marketing Coordinator (815) 753-9371, zhildebrand@iasbo.org

Illinois ASBO Board of Directors

David H. Hill, Ed.D President Cathy L. Johnson President-Elect Dean T. Romano, Ed.D. Treasurer Jennifer J. Hermes, SFO Immediate Past President 2015–18 Board of Directors Mark W. Altmayer, Julie-Ann C. Fuchs, Eric M. Miller 2016–19 Board of Directors Jan J. Bush, Julie A. Jilek, Bradley L. Shortridge 2017–20 Board of Directors Mark R. Bertolozzi, Kevin L. Dale, Eric DePorter

Illinois ASBO Board Liaisons

Anne E. Noble Service Associate Advisory Committee Chair Carrie L. Matlock, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C Service Associate Advisory Committee Vice Chair Deborah I. Vespa ISBE Board Liaison Perry Hill IASB Board Liaison Paul McMahon Regional Superintendent Liaison Calvin C. Jackson Legislative Liaison

Privacy Policy

All materials contained within this publication are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed or published without the prior written permission of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials.

You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.

References, authorship or information provided by parties other than that which is owned by the Illinois Association of School Business Officials are offered as a service to readers. The editorial staff of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials was not involved in their production and is not responsible for their content.

PERSPECTIVE / Board President

FROM–THE–PODIUM Planning for the Future of Education As you think about the future of education, ponder this: students entering kindergarten next school year will graduate high school in 2031. What will the educational process look like then? As a leader in your school district, you must always be looking several years into the future in order to provide the best academic experience for your students, as well as make sure the district has the necessary financial resources.

David H. Hill, Ed.D. ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT COMM. CONS. SCH. DIST. 93

SIMPLY SAYING

Successful districts and leaders will make the adjustments needed to prepare students for an unfamiliar future.

There are many things on the ever-changing educational landscape to consider. Here are just a few: • How will your district use analytical data to make decisions?

• How will instruction be delivered?

• How will your district address transgender students?

• What will future learning spaces look like?

• Will your district utilize e-learning days when school is cancelled?

• How will automation make your job more efficient and effective?

• Will robots and artificial intelligence be utilized in your schools?

• How will your district work with diversity and cultural sensitivity issues?

As we try to predict the future of education, many people have their own opinions as to what the learning environment might be. Some speculate that collaboration will be king. Schools will become highly collaborative spaces thanks to the advent of virtual and augmented reality. Instead of needing to meet in the same physical space, students could work remotely and interact through

online platforms. Others think that classrooms will be creative spaces with innovative thinking. Education may not just be taking in information and sharing it back, but figuring out how to apply it in the real world. Still others think that the schools will be primarily focused on the social-emotional well-being of students and their academic success.

Successful districts and leaders will make the adjustments needed to prepare students for an unfamiliar future. Staying current with educational trends will be vital to ensure that you and your district are prepared for the changing landscape.

As you think about the future of education in your district, I leave you with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

As this is my final “From-the-Podium” article, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support, engagement and commitment to the mission of this outstanding Association. It has truly been my honor and privilege to serve as your President.

www.iasbo.org

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ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS

LEARN TO LEAD

THROUGH INFLUENCE As a school business or industry professional, your ability to communicate effectively is key to becoming an influential leader within your organization. The Illinois ASBO Leadership Center brings you professional development to address the relational skills your university program may not have taught you, but that are essential to your success.

FIND YEAR-ROUND LEADERSHIP CENTER TRAININGS AT:

WWW.IASBO.ORG/LEADERSHIP

PERSPECTIVE / Executive Director

FROM–THE–OFFICE Adapting to a Changing World “A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.”

- Chinese Proverb When considering where we are and what the future might look like, I often think of my grandmother who was born in 1895 and died in 1996. Over those 101 years, she saw us move from horse and buggy to cars, airplanes, jets and computers. She was 17 when the Titanic went down! Wow. I wish that I could have a discussion with her today just to ask how she embraced the changes she saw throughout her lifetime.

Michael A. Jacoby, Ed.D., CAE, SFO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO ILLINOIS ASBO

SIMPLY SAYING

We know more about how to use technology in our classrooms, business offices and facilities than ever before.

What About Us? What have we experienced in our lifetimes? Many of my generation grew up with the Back to the Future sequels featuring Michael J. Fox. We dreamed of what that future would look like. Flying cars, floating hover boards, flux capacitors, etc. During the most recent Super Bowl, Toyota introduced what they are working on for flying cars, and floating hover boards have now been banned from airplanes. Maybe there is not a flux capacitor, but the use of computers in our vehicles has become ubiquitous and certainly we will see driverless cars and Hyperloop transportation in our future!

What About Education?

When I took my first job as a business official in 1986, technology was just starting to emerge. I recall buying one of the early Macintosh computers. Yes – the square one! It had 512 KB of memory and no hard drive, so we also had to buy stacks of floppy disks. Now, a cell phone has more memory than the first “super computers” and one to one device programs have begun to proliferate the landscape.

Smart classrooms are not just a dream, but a reality in many places. We know more about how to use technology in our classrooms, business offices and facilities than ever before. This issue of UPDATE is designed to explore what will come next in each of those areas. I trust that it will get you dreaming a little about what could be and preparing yourself to embrace it.

To close, consider that the future is all about change.

Business author Alan Deutschman popularized the business catchphrase, “Change or die.” Personally, when faced with the question, change or die, I choose life! How about you?

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REGISTER

Registration opens May 1 Save $100 when you register by July 27!

asbointl.org/AnnualMeeting

“ASBO International's annual meeting is one of the premier events of the year in our profession.

The knowledge, communication, and information offer a distinct value and must be respected as a major contributing factor to my success over the years in school business. The contacts within ASBO have been invaluable to me as a school district chief financial officer!”

Arnett W. Harvey, Cahokia CUSD 187, Cahokia, IL

“Attending ASBO International’s Annual Meeting & Expo allows me to see the educational process in another area of the country, to network with my fellow colleagues, and to see what new innovations our vendors are bringing to school districts to help make our jobs more efficient.”

Luann Kolstad, Chief School Business Official, Park Ridge Niles SD 64, Park Ridge, IL

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

PERSPECTIVE / SAAC Chair

FROM–THE–FIELD Facing the Unknown: The Leader’s Challenge When I was a kid, I was a rabid reader, reading under my covers with a flashlight until all hours of the night. One of my favorite genres was science fiction. I was so fascinated by concepts of life different from my own. Now, decades later, it is a bit shocking to consider how many of those different realities have actually played out in today’s world. I always wondered if those authors were great visionaries or if readers took their ideas as compelling and created the inventions and science to make them a reality.

Regardless, planning for the future is one of a leaders’ greatest challenges. It is hard enough to keep up with the curve balls being thrown at us every day with new laws, the new funding formula, new federal and state mandates, etc. Somehow, we have to try to stay ahead of the curve if our organizations are going to be well positioned for the next set of challenges.

Anne Noble MANAGING DIRECTOR STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY

SIMPLY SAYING

We have to try to stay ahead of the curve if our organizations are going to be well positioned for the next set of challenges.

This issue of UPDATE is dedicated to helping us think about how we can plan for and prepare our organizations for the future. Take a look at the business office of the future and consider how your current structure could transition in that direction. Read about how automation is going to be an ongoing trend that flows into the business office. Learn how to use today’s data to help analyze current trends and plan for what is to come. Consider how sensitivity to diversity and cultural differences is going to impact the future of public schools.

some parameters in place to make it easier for that transition. This issue of UPDATE will help you to think and plan for possible new realities — and it is not even science fiction!

As I complete my term as the Chair of the Service Associate Advisory Committee, I want to thank you all for this wonderful opportunity to serve you and Illinois ASBO. It has been my distinct pleasure to be part of planning for the future of this fabulous Association! I look forward to seeing where the path takes us next. Cheers!

One of the biggest challenges we all face is positioning ourselves and our organizations for that which we do not yet know. Some of that is about having the right staff that is nimble and able to change as quickly and effectively as circumstances require. But much of the groundwork for preparing for the future is in thinking beyond your current box to what the next box might look like, and then putting

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CONTRIBUTORS

Ryan J. Berry

Todd Burleson

Christine G. Christensen

Chief School Business Official Skokie SD 68

Media Specialist Winnetka SD 36

Associate Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller, Ltd.

With more than ten years of school business experience, Ryan has spent the last seven years of his career in Skokie SD 68. Ryan graduated from NIU with his Masters Degree/CSBO in 2012.

Was chosen as the 2016 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year, is a published author, international speaker and a constant creator. Todd strives to find the balance between books and bytes while awakening the love of reading in all of his students.

Graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Humanities and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois (2015). During law school, Christine served as the President of the Education Law and Policy Society.

rberry@skokie68.org

toddburleson@winnetka36.org

cchristensen@millertracy.com

Anton Inglese, SFO, CETL

Wes Karsten

Nathan Levenson

Chief Financial Officer/ CSBO Batavia USD 101

Relationship Manager Forecast5 Analytics

Managing Director District Management Group

Prior to becoming Chief Financial Officer in 2015, Anton served as Chief Information Officer for Batavia Public Schools since 2009. As his district’s leader of education and information technology, Anton is known for implementing innovative technologies in the classroom that support instruction.

Anton.Inglese@bps101.net

Has spent the past seven years managing client relationships by connecting clients with valuable tools and services, assessing and addressing needs and promoting a positive client experience.

As superintendent in Arlington, MA, Nathan helped raise achievement significantly, despite tight budgets.

For the last ten years, He has helped lead a consulting and membership organization supporting schools and districts across the country.

wkarsten@forecast5analytics.com

nlevenson@dmgroupk12.com

Stephen W. Miller

Brandon K. Wright

Senior Product Manager Forecast5 Analytics

Partner Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller, Ltd.

Has spent his entire 20+ year career in school district finance as an auditor, chief school business official and consultant. Steve is a CPA and CSBO with a Bachelors in Accounting from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Education Administration from Northern Illinois University.

Focuses his practice on school law, with a particular interest in the field of special education, due process and co-operative school districts. Brandon is a regular speaker at roundtables, division meetings, IASB, IPA and IAASE workshops and conferences.

smiller@forecast5analytics.com

bwright@millertracy.com

Thank you to our UPDATE Contributors and the Editorial Advisory Board The Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) ensures that the UPDATE Magazine remains the most anticipated resource for school business officials. Members of the EAB bring expertise and perspective from all sides of school business management. They identify topics, resources and tools that prove useful to members.

Upcoming issue themes that have been developed by the EAB will include:

• Facilities • School Finance & Budgeting • Leadership • Digital Learning

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ACROSS-THE-GLOBE / ASBO International

MEET YOUR FUTURE ASBO INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR SUSAN L. HARKIN

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER COMM. UNIT SCH. DIST. 300 ILLINOIS ASBO PAST PRESIDENT, 2015-16 BEGINS ASBO BOARD SERVICE: JANUARY 1, 2019 RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT IN 2021

A Long History with Public Education Public education has been an integral part of my life from a very early age. At three months old, I had my first exposure to public education as a passenger on my mom’s school bus route. As I grew older, my mom transitioned into a school secretary and my dad became a school board member. My parents’ best friends were the superintendent, business official and principals for our school district. We had many lively conversations about public education. Growing up in a diverse, blue collar community in the late-60s to mid-70s, my family took on the charge to fight for the access of a high-quality education for all. This early exposure is the core of why I am a school business official today. I am honored and humbled to be running for the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBOI) Board of Directors as my next step in this effort.

Promoting the Highest Standards of School Management I am passionate about providing high-quality education and collaborating with school business professionals in this endeavor. Serving on the ASBOI board, I will be committed to providing programs and services that promote the highest standards of school business management, professional growth and the effective use of educational resources. I will actively use my passion for our profession to find ways to engage in this work and be a champion for school business professionals around the world.

A Network of Colleagues Worldwide While Illinois ASBO is a great resource for me, ASBOI provides the opportunity to network with other state SBOs to understand how they are addressing challenges they are facing in their roles. This network energizes me to be a better school administrator. I believe being an SBO is one of the most important careers and the best profession in the entire world. My involvement in ASBOI has provided me with resources that ensure I am the very best I can be in this very important role. On the ASBOI Board, I will work to ensure ASBOI continues to be a valuable resource to all SBOs to ensure the vitality of our profession.

PERSPECTIVE / On the Profession

SCHOOL BUSINESS 101 What has been your experience as a millennial in a school business role? realized it is a two-way street. We (millennials) have to learn the history and process “ I’ve of the district and earn the trust of our peers before we make changes. The biggest two items I challenged everyone in our district with were, “are we accepting the idea that the way we have always done it is good enough” and “just because we are a small district does not mean our kids don’t deserve what larger districts offer.” On the other hand, I have had to learn that not all change is needed or good and really make sure asking or pushing for change doesn’t come across as arrogance.”

ANTHONY ARBOGAST Dir./Business Services, CSBO, Roselle SD 12 recognize subtle differences from my peers who might be considered as part of another “ Igeneration.

For instance, many veteran school business officials stay in a position for a longer amount of time, whereas millennials seem to transition positions more frequently. The reasons are likely varied, but I would suggest one is rooted in the idea that many of us thrive on different challenges and taking risks.

I have also seen a difference in work styles. Millennials seem to embrace the concept of working whenever and wherever there is access to an Internet connection, in a variety of settings – often times, not in a physical office space. We seem to never disconnect from work given our connected lives. On the other hand, I often am envious of veteran school business officials that value and place priority on the importance of a work-life balance. This is something that our generation struggles with finding, as a result of the digital environment to which we have become accustomed.”

R.J. GRAVEL, ED.D. Asst. Supt./Business Services, Glenbrook HSD 225

love being a millennial in the business office. It is nice to know the tech side of things “ Iand to be able to teach people ways to make things more efficient all around. It saves a ton of time when we can have a Google sheet for administrators working on a project, so we don’t have to house everything in a central location. It makes collaboration a whole lot more efficient. It is nice to put a fresh set of eyes on what people do traditionally with the new ideas I can bring to the table.”

PASQUALE MARANTO Accounting/Payroll Specialist, Schiller Park SD 81

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“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve and contribute to improving our quality of life.�

-Sidney Sheldon

ARTICLE

I remember when I was a kid growing up on Air Force bases around the world, we always had amazing libraries.

I also remember the constant sound of aircraft overhead.

Flying was almost as familiar to me as reading. When I watched the Jetsons and saw their flying cars, robot maids, floating homes and outdoor treadmills for dogs, that all made perfect sense to me.

A World of Possibility As I grew into a young adult, I soon realized that our idealized visions of the future do not seem to match the actual future. Now that seems to be changing. In a recent advertisement for their AI, Microsoft points out that we have more power resting at our fingertips today than previous generations could have ever dreamed of. This technology is possibility, it is opportunity.

How will libraries respond to these tsunamis of information and technological change? I believe they will do what they have always done. Libraries will be places where you can learn, practice, explore and share. Librarians will organize, educate and promote the best tools for the job.

More Than Just a Building

The library of the future will not exclusively be a brick and mortar location. In fact, most libraries already use a networked system that allows you to check out books from thousands of other public libraries around the state or region. Libraries of the future will also not simply be the printed books that we all think of first when we envision the library of the past. Almost all libraries now offer their patrons electronic versions of books that can be instantly downloaded, read and shared without ever having to step foot in the building itself. Audiobooks, movies and music can all be streamed or downloaded to a multitude of devices and effortlessly returned without a single additional keystroke by the patron.

Libraries are putting significant investments into the online resources that their patrons are interested in. In my local library, I can access premium paid subscription resources such as Lynda.com and Ancestry.com for free with my library card. On just these two sites alone, I can learn anything from tintype photography to where my ancestors lived before they came to America from Germany.

By Todd Burleson MEDIA SPECIALIST WINNETKA SD 36

The library's changing Role The actual brick and mortar location is changing as well.

Librarians are no longer stuck behind a computer checking in books; self checkout stations allow patrons to do so on their own. Librarians are now freed up to spend more time doing what they love to do, helping patrons find the tools and resources they need. Librarians are leading or facilitating hands-on classes on everything from basic computer skills to advanced ancestry research, even leading book clubs and discussion groups. Librarians are constantly surveying their patrons' needs so that the physical space can meet those needs.

Libraries of the future will continue to adapt and grow.

Libraries now loan wireless hot spots to bring Wi-Fi into homes that do not have it. Tablets, laptops and even hand tools and robots can be loaned for absolutely no cost. In many libraries there are maker labs and media labs where patrons can attend classes and explore new technologies such as 3D printing, laser cutting and engraving, augmented reality and much, much more.

School libraries are evolving in the same way. Media and technology have always been essential tools in school libraries. Where there used to be an overhead projecter and 35mm film projectors, now we have coding, robotics, mixed reality and an ever expanding multitude of technologies to help students learn, share and communicate their understanding.

The Beauty of the Printed Word While the library of the future will be adaptive, evolving and nimble, there will always be a place for the written word. A recent Pew Research poll showed that the majority of Americans still prefer to read a physical book over an e-book. Another poll showed that 92 percent of college students prefer a physical textbook to e-books. And there is absolutely no replacing the sheer joy of having a child sitting on a parent’s lap turning the pages of a beloved picture book. There is no replacing the physicality and beauty of the printed page. After all, when the internet is down, there is no buffering when you are enjoying the latest incredible bestselling novel!

Footnotes: “92% Of College Students Prefer Print Books to e-Books, Study Finds.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2016, www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-92percent-college-students-prefer-paper-over-pixels-20160208-story.html.

Perrin, Andrew. “Book Reading 2016.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 1 Sept. 2016, www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/01/book-reading-2016/.

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WHERE ARE WE NOW? LEGAL UPDATES CONCERNING TRANSGENDER STUDENTS

On March 6, 2017, the United States Supreme Court vacated the Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. judgment and remanded the case to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in light of a revocation from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice of an Obama-era guidance document. The guidance document at issue — a May 13, 2016 Dear Colleague Letter that provided significant guidance as to covered entities’ obligations to transgender individuals under Title IX — had proved foundational to the 4th Circuit’s determination that a school district must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity. Since the Supreme Court vacated the G.G. judgment, some confusion has resulted as to a school district’s obligations toward transgender students.

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UPDATE Magazine / Summer 2018

By Brandon K. Wright

ARTICLE

PARTNER MILLER, TRACY, BRAUN, FUNK & MILLER, LTD.

Christine G. Christensen

ASSOCIATE MILLER, TRACY, BRAUN, FUNK & MILLER, LTD.

TITLE IX: THE DEBATE OVER AN UNDEFINED TERM Over the past several years, a debate has emerged regarding whether Title IX requires school districts to provide transgender students access to bathrooms and locker rooms in a manner consistent with their gender identity. Under Title IX, covered entities agree, as a condition of receiving federal funds, that they will not exclude, separate, deny benefits to or otherwise treat differently on the basis of sex any person in its programs or activities, unless expressly authorized to do so under Title IX or its implementing regulations.1 Neither Title IX nor its implementing regulations, however, define the term “sex.”

On May 13, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education (the Departments) issued a joint Dear Colleague letter that contained “significant guidance” as to their evaluation of covered entities’ obligations under Title IX.2 The Departments advised: "The Departments treat a student’s gender identity as the student’s sex for purposes of Title IX and its implementing regulations. This means that a school must not treat a transgender student differently from the way it treats other students of the same gender identity.

The Departments’ interpretation is consistent with courts’ and other agencies’ interpretations of Federal laws prohibiting sex discrimination. The Departments interpret Title IX to require that when a student or the student’s parent or guardian, as appropriate, notifies the school administration that the student will assert a gender identity that differs from previous representations or records, the school will begin treating the student consistent with the student’s gender identity. Under Title IX, there is no medical diagnosis or treatment requirement that students must meet as a prerequisite to being treated consistent with their gender identity."3 The Departments suggested that a covered entity’s failure to comply with its significant guidance could result in a loss of federal funds.

Less than a year after the Dear Colleague Letter was released, the Departments withdrew the statements of policy and guidance contained in the Letter.4 The Departments reasoned the Dear Colleague Letter did not “contain extensive legal analysis or explain how the position is consistent with the express language of Title IX, nor did they undergo any formal public process.”5 However, the Departments declined to provide an alternative interpretation or analysis of Title IX, noting that they believed that “there must be due regard for the primary role of the states and local school districts in establishing educational policy.”6 Although the Departments withdrew their guidance regarding Title IX, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which is binding in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, recently held that transgender students may bring sex-discrimination claims under Title IX based on a theory of sex-stereotyping.

In Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District No. 1, 858 F.3d 1034 (7th Cir. 2017), the Seventh Circuit held that Ash Whitaker — a transgender male student who was barred from using the boys bathrooms at school – was likely to succeed on a Title IX sex discrimination claim based upon a theory of sex-stereotyping. It reasoned that “[a] policy that requires an individual to use a bathroom that does not conform with his or her gender identity punishes that individual for his or her gender non-conformance, which in turn violates Title IX.”7 The Seventh Circuit further noted that the gender-neutral bathrooms offered by the district for Whitaker’s use “were not true alternatives because of their distant location to Ash’s classrooms and the increased stigmatization they caused Ash.”8

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EQUAL PROTECTION: WHICH LEVEL OF SCRUTINY APPLIES? Whitaker was significant not only for its analysis of Title IX, but for its holding that heightened scrutiny – and not rational basis review – applies to a transgender student’s Equal Protection claim. The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment “is essentially a direction that all persons similarly situated should be treated alike.”9 The Seventh Circuit explained in Whitaker that government “action is presumed to be lawful and will be upheld if the classification drawn by the statute is rationally related to a legitimate state interest.”10 The school district and Ash disagreed as to the level of scrutiny that should be applied to the district’s bathroom policy. The district asserted that its actions were lawful because it was trying to protect the privacy rights of all of its students.11 Ash, however, argued that the district’s actions should be subject to heightened scrutiny because “transgender people are a minority who have historically been subjected to discrimination based upon the immutable characteristics of their gender identities.”12 Ash argued in the alternative that heightened scrutiny applied because “the school district’s bathroom policy creates a sex-based classroom such that heightened scrutiny should apply.”13 The Seventh Circuit concluded that the district’s bathroom policy was subject to heightened scrutiny because its policy was “inherently based upon a sex-classification.”14

The court dismissed the district’s argument that it treats all boys and girls the same, reasoning that “the school district treats transgender students like Ash, who failed to conform to the sex-based stereotypes associated with their assigned sex at birth, differently.”15 The court also dismissed the district’s assertion that its policy was justified by privacy considerations, stating that the argument was based upon “sheer conjecture and abstraction.”16 The Seventh Circuit concluded that Ash was likely to succeed on his claim that the district’s policy violated the Equal Protection clause.

This holding on the Equal Protection issue is significant because it relies on more than an interpretation of Title IX, as was the issue in the G.G. case and is less dependent on the agency interpretation of Title IX by the Department of Education.

EACH ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE SCHOOL CODE TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT SUBJECTED TO BULLYING AND HARASSMENT ON THE BASIS OF GENDER IDENTITY OR GENDER EXPRESSION.

ARTICLE / Legal Updates Concerning Transgender Students

ILLINOIS HUMAN RIGHTS ACT: DEFENSE AGAINST DISCRIMINATION Title IX and the Equal Protection clause are not the sole sources of legal protection against anti-discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) prohibits places of public accommodation, which includes elementary and secondary public schools, from denying or refusing to another the full and equal enjoyment of its facilities on the basis of sex and sexual orientation. IHRA defines “sexual orientation”17 as the “actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender-related identity, whether or not traditionally associated with the person’s designated sex at birth.”18 A number of charges have been filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) against school districts alleging discrimination on the basis of gender identity, including a charge filed on behalf of Nova Maday (a transgender female).

Nova’s mother alleged in the charge that Township High School District No. 211 unlawfully discriminated against Nova in violation of the IHRA by denying her full use of the girls’ locker room. This matter remains in litigation as of this writing.

RECOMMENDATIONS: WHERE ARE WE NOW? As with any developing area of the law, guidance on this topic is rapidly evolving. However, it is clear, from laws and court cases cited above, that transgender students should neither be stigmatized nor ignored. Appropriate determinations regarding access to restrooms and locker rooms can be reached by listening to each student’s request, taking medical recommendations under consideration and ensuring that the student remains safe.

Each Illinois school district has obligations under the School Code to ensure that students are not subjected to bullying and harassment on the basis of gender identity or gender expression.19 Both ISBE and IHSA have provided guidance to give school districts and families flexibility on managing these issues. As in most situations, school districts are best advised to work cooperatively with students and families to ensure that each school is a place where all students feel welcome and have the opportunity to learn and which are not overtly politicizing the education of certain students in our schools and our communities.

Footnotes 1. 34 C.F.R. §§ 106.4, 106.31(a).

2. U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education, Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students (May 13, 2016) (available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201605title-ix-transgender.pdf).

3. Id. 4. U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education, Dear Colleague Letter (February 22, 2017) (available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201702-title-ix.pdf).

5. Id. 6. Id. 7. Whitaker, 858 F.3d 1034, 1049 (7th Cir. 2017).

8. Id. at 1050.

9. City of Cleburne Living Ctr., 473 U.S. 432, 439 (1985).

10. Whitaker, 858 F.3d at 1050 11. Id. at 1052.

12. Id. at 1051.

13. Id. 14. Id. 15. Id. 16. Id. at 1052.

17. 775 ILCS 5/5-101 (A)(11); 775 ILCS 5/5-102 (A).

18. 775 ILCS 5/1-103(O-1).

19. 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7(a).

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ARTICLE

By Nathan Levenson

MANAGING DIRECTOR DISTRICT MANAGEMENT GROUP

THE BUSINESS OFFICE OF THE FUTURE

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WALKING INTO SCHOOLS ACROSS AMERICA CAN FEEL FAMILIAR. The office is off to the right, with the administrative assistant up front to greet you. Posters are on the wall asking kids to be respectful, aim high, be lifelong learners and to come after school for this or that. Classrooms line most hallways, with a teacher at the front of the room and a whiteboard behind them. This scene has not changed much for the past few decades… but everything both inside the classroom and outside the schoolyard has changed and these changes will (hopefully) change the role, daily work and even the purpose of the business office.

A NEW NORMAL While schools may look the same as years ago, the students at the desks are quite different. Today’s kids come to school with far greater needs: • Social, emotional and behavioral supports are now as important as reading and math.

• Students now, on average, are more likely to live in poverty, speak English as a second language and/or have experienced trauma.

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Moreover, the rigor of what students are learning has also risen greatly. Whether it is Common Core, new state standards or the demanding job market, high school graduates today must master complex material while they learn to think, reason and have empathy. Outside schools, the state of municipal finance has also changed.

Taxpayers feel stretched and pension and health costs are rising. Consequentially, school budgets are and will remain stressed. Greater student needs, higher expectations and chronically tight budgets mean the business office (and most everything else) should and will change in response to this new normal.

ARTICLE / The Business Office of the Future

FROM DATA KEEPERS TO STRATEGIC LEADERS The overarching and most substantial shift in the business office will be a shift from the place that collects and reports financial data (the keeper of information) to becoming the place school and district leaders turn to for help in making their most important decisions (the source of insight). This means the business office will collect, analyze and share data that is needed but that no one else has yet asked for. They will provide the information others need to make better decisions, especially around teaching and learning issues, not just around staffing and operations.

More will be asked of the business office. Its scope will expand beyond managing finances to helping manage the other critical and scarce resource — time. Helping school and district leaders maximize the impact of every instructional minute during the day will be of equal importance to getting the most from every dollar.

Taken together, these external and internal pressures will add four new functions to the business office:

Champions of Academic Return on Investment Knowing what works, at what cost and for which children will be critical if districts are going to raise achievement despite limited resources. The business office of the future will help lead robust analyses of the Academic Return on Investment (A-ROI) of key strategies, large-scale interventions and new initiatives.

Principals, department heads and chief academic officers will ask the business office for help in determining what is working. The business office will have the expertise to lead these studies, set and collect baseline data, measure and analyze growth and calculate the cost per student served.

Ultimately, they will pair results with a cost to fuel an A-ROI based discussion. Certainly, other departments will be part of the A-ROI team, but the business office will lead the way, providing guidance, encouragement and expertise.

Expertise on Cost-Effective Teaching and Learning During the budget season, lots of questions get asked of the business office: “How much do we spend on X? How much more is Y going to cost next year?”

We can refer to these as “tracking” questions. Today’s school business office tracks a lot of spending and so will the business office of the future. In addition, the office will be called upon for wisdom and advice on how to do things more cost effectively. For sure, in some districts the business office already does this when it comes to food service, maintenance and other operations. With the bulk of spending and most learning being in academics, not operations, the business office will likely become a greater support in the area of cost-effective teaching and learning.

Want to reduce the cost of teaching literacy or increase the cost effectiveness of summer school? Go talk to the school district CFO of the future. If this seems far-fetched, keep two thoughts in mind. Private sector CFOs play this role today, and if not the CFO, then who will provide this critical role in a world of tight finances?

The majority of the district budget is devoted to teaching and learning. Principals and curriculum leaders need help, guidance and direction on how to stretch the impact of their budget and to do more with less. A different kind of partnership between the business office and the curriculum and instruction team is needed if schools are to thrive in the future.

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Multi-Year Planning Another change likely to come to the school finance office is a new perspective, not a new role. Much of what is done today focuses on the current year (tracking spending) and next year (building the budget). As enrollments shift, structural deficits become common place and state budgets are stressed, districts will need to think and plan over a three to five year time frame. The business office will lead the way.

This will likely include more sophisticated forecasting and creating scenario plans, not just a single forecast.

Nearly all private organizations with budgets the size of school districts do multi-year planning. Most organizations that top $50 million have formal multi-year plans. For schools, both revenues and expenses are forecast based on enrollment trends, the growth of charters, state funding predictions and estimates of federal grants. Expenses are also mapped out years into the future based on detailed strategic plans and priorities, as well as estimates for changes in health, retirement and energy costs.

Given the number of moving parts in these forecasts, a range of scenarios should be considered and contingency plans built around the most likely possibilities. This will allow district leaders to take the long-term perspective when planning each year’s budget.

Managers of Time, Not Just Money Money is not the only scarce resource in a school. Time is precious too. More and more districts are placing greater emphasis on scheduling. They understand that better schedules save money and raise achievement. Just as today’s business offices have a grants department, payroll function and perhaps also oversees facilities, tomorrow’s will have a scheduling department as well.

collectively rather than building by building. No reduction in how much time students received specials was involved, just some centralized planning and expertise added. At the secondary level, scheduling and staffing are completely intertwined. Joint effort between the school leadership and the business office could reveal opportunities to expand electives and add interventions at no extra cost.

At the elementary level, doing district-wide scheduling, rather than school by school, maximizes the efficiency of the sharing specialists like art and PE teachers. Some districts have saved $50,000 a school by scheduling

Housing scheduling expertise in the business office reflects the significant intersection of staffing and scheduling and reinforces the partnership between the business staff and the teaching and learning team.

MANAGING THE DISTRICT OF THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE A LOT HARDER, BECAUSE WHAT IS BEING ASKED OF OUR SCHOOLS IS A LOT MORE CHALLENGING. TO RISE TO THIS CHALLENGE, THE BUSINESS OFFICE WILL HAVE TO EVOLVE AS WELL. 26 |

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ARTICLE / The Business Office of the Future

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Managing the district of the future is going to be a lot harder, because what is being asked of our schools is a lot more challenging. To rise to this challenge, the business office will have to evolve as well. This will include learning new skills and this must be supported by growing the department.

Leading the charge on Academic Return on Investment will require a bit more expertise in cost accounting, helping ensure that every minute is used as well as every dollar.

This will require expertise in scheduling, scenario planning and forecasting, all valued skills of the future.

The breadth of expertise required and the additional responsibilities predicted suggests that more people and different types of people will be working in the business office of the future. Maybe retired principals will head up a part-time scheduling office and former private sector cost accountants will sit beside the payroll office. Maybe even a former teacher with a financial bent will make a great addition to the team to help guide efforts to increase the cost effectiveness of reading or summer school.

This leads to the final and most important change — the need for districts to view these new functions as missioncritical and worthy of greater investment, despite tight finances. The mindset that any dollar not spent in the classroom should be trimmed must change. Instead, success in the future requires that every dollar is spent for the classroom. The difference is significant and best for students. Districts will need to spend money to save money and invest outside the classroom to improve what happens inside the classroom.

Investing $75,000 in a highly skilled scheduler can free up $250,000 – $500,000 from more efficient staffing in a district of 5,000 students. Spending $100,000 for the capacity to know if co-teaching is raising achievement or not, could shift millions into other interventions in a district with 20,000 students. Having staff that can analyze and help recommend cost-effective strategies for summer school might double the number of students served without increasing costs.

While the first reaction of some school boards and others might be “we cannot afford these investments,” in reality districts cannot afford to not make these investments in an era of sustained tight resources and growing needs.

Tomorrow will be challenging, but with thoughtful planning, an open mind and added expertise the business office will help schools do the most good for the most students with every dollar they have.

THE ROI OF

AUTOMATION

As budgets tighten, school business managers are compelled to seek out new ways to wring efficiency (and cash) out of programs and operations while improving services to students and schools. As technology becomes more pervasive and affordable, automation of business office functions is an increasingly attractive and effective tactic. Automation offers many affordances, chiefly: • Efficiency of effort and time • Consistency and quality of output

• Metrics for process visibility and measurability • Reduced overhead costs

Practically speaking, any repetitive task or process can be automated, but which are most likely to yield a worthwhile return on investment (ROI)? Let us investigate six examples of business office automation:

STUDENT FEES: CALCULATION, PAYMENTS AND COLLECTIONS

Tabulating student fees, especially course fees, is usually a manual and constant process that is complicated by late schedule changes. The process is so tedious and time consuming that some schools assign this task to students and parents themselves to calculate. But with thoughtful system design and careful data management, student fee calculation can increase convenience, improve collection rates and save time.

When used in conjunction with automated registration, automated student fee payments offer improved transaction reliability and customer service. For example, many families that do not qualify for free/reduced lunch and fee waiver programs struggle to pay their school fees each year. With automation, credit and debit card payment plans are easy for parents to create and school districts to manage. With automated reconciliation tools, each fee can be easily recorded in the proper general ledger account based on its type and location.

Most student information systems allow course fee amounts to be included alongside the course description in the master schedule. By parsing a student’s schedule, database algorithms can quickly calculate and assign course fees. Coupled with carefully curated and custom indicators for student participation in athletics, music or transportation, all student fees can be tracked for a given semester or school year.

Benefits: Key Considerations: • Real-time and accurate financial accounting with minimal • Shop for competitive credit card processing fees staff effort • Use a reputable credit card processor to comply with • Parent convenience, electronic payments and payment plans Payment Card Industry (PCI) requirements and avoid liability • Centralized overdue notices and collections High Medium Low

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Complexity

Customer Satisfaction

By Anton Inglese, SFO, CETL

ARTICLE

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER/ CSBO BATAVIA USD 101

MAINTENANCE AND TECHNOLOGY REQUESTS

Effective management of school facilities and technology services requires constant triage and task prioritization is difficult when every teacher’s request is urgent and nobody can see the forest through the trees. When all requests for maintenance and technology are electronically submitted (or recorded), they can easily be categorized, tracked and automatically assigned to appropriate personnel and balanced by workload. More importantly, insights can be automated to help managers identify and address root causes of problems so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future.

The process of maintaining safe schools is becoming more complex and crucial. For example, regularly inspecting fire extinguishers, AEDs, sprinklers and testing emergency

notification systems requires diligent record keeping and constant effort. Additionally, as few districts have the luxury of replacing capital assets at the end of their expected life cycles, regular preventative maintenance is essential to squeezing more out of every capital investment. When maintenance and technology requests are integrated with asset management and inventory databases, compliance and preventative maintenance tasks can be automatically generated and assigned to staff, including electronic reporting, verification and quality control. In some instances, these systems can be extended to include features that integrate and enhance support for building events and rentals to make HVAC utilization more efficient.

Benefits: • Facilitates efficient and effective management • Improves access to customer support/increases satisfaction • Insight and performance metrics for service delivery

High Medium Low

ROI

Complexity

Customer Satisfaction

Key Considerations: • Integration with existing user management/directory systems

TEACHER ATTENDANCE AND SUB CALLING

Nowadays, most school districts utilize automated absence management. Typically, such systems allow teachers and staff to call or login to submit planned and unexpected absences, which then automatically assigns and calls substitutes, if necessary. Few school districts, however, integrate these systems to automatically update personnel records and charge sub costs to general ledger accounts. By creating conditional criteria for staff absences, absence management systems data can be automatically imported into human resources and financial systems, forcing electronic workflows to verify accuracy and authorization while eliminating the need for manual data entry.

Benefits: • Eliminates manual data processing • Real-time attendance reporting and tracking • Electronic notification and authorization workflows • Accurate cost accounting for professional development

Key Considerations: • Reconciling potential record conflicts between multiple databases • Handling last-minute absences and sub assignment coordination (which still requires a human to manage)

High Medium Low

ROI

Complexity

Customer Satisfaction

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TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS AND BUS MONITORING

Student transportation is expensive and costs often outpace economic inflation each year. Cost effective busing requires efficient routing, which relies upon accurate and timely student data exchange. When transportation preferences are included in automated registration, parents can easily indicate if an eligible student will ride the bus regularly — in the morning, afternoon, both or not at all. When students enroll (or disenroll), transportation requests can be automatically sent to the appropriate staff for bus route assignments and when fulfilled, stop locations and times can be transmitted back to schools and parents within minutes. Recently, some districts have added automated bus monitoring, offering apps for parents to track bus routes with GPS in real-time.

Benefits: • Reduce staff time and energy • Improved service provisioning lead times • Insight into route efficiency and on-time delivery

Key Considerations: • Workflow and information exchange between individuals and departments • Handling of field trips and athletic/activity charters

High Medium Low

ROI

Complexity

Customer Satisfaction

BUDGET MANAGEMENT

As resources become more scarce and the margin for error narrows, school budget creation and management must become more accurate. Accordingly, budgeting techniques are evolving to become more collaborative, strategic and precise, particularly with regard to projecting staff salary and benefit costs. School business managers are increasingly relying on software systems to calculate movement on the salary schedule, wage withholdings and insurance benefits for each individual in the organization to build more accurate budgets. This practice also facilitates financial modeling for negotiating terms of collective bargaining agreements and making programmatic changes to estimate the total cost of ownership. Further, with the implementation of ESSA site-based reporting requirements, the same automated software tools can build staffing budgets at the general ledger account level — at each school — and with the appropriate account functions and objects.

Benefits: • Quickly project costs over multiple years and model staffing options • Monitor mid-year budgetary progress and cash flow • Build budgets faster and with more insight Key Considerations: • Requires coordination of position vacancies with estimated costs • Requires a well-designed and meticulously curated chart of accounts High Medium Low

ROI

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Complexity

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Customer Satisfaction

Most business managers are spreadsheet wizards. And while traditional spreadsheets save a lot of time, daily transactions and constantly changing data make the process of maintaining up-to-date sheets a tedious and endless task. With an automated nightly (or hourly) export of the general ledger to a comma-separated values file on a network share (e.g., Google Drive or Dropbox), a few carefully designed spreadsheet functions can automatically parse the recent changes. Effectively, automated spreadsheets give business managers a truly custom reporting solution that actually delivers insight in a way that is familiar and easily extensible. Although this requires a well-designed and curated chart of accounts, automated spreadsheets can be used to create insightful cross sections among various funds, functions, objects, departments and locations at macro- and micro-levels.

SPREADSHEET FUNCTIONS THAT ENABLE AUTOMATION:

• SUMIFS: Add/sum a cell when multiple conditions are true. Use it to automatically populate a scattergram or add all instructional salary accounts (1100-level functions and 100-level objects) in a budget file.

• COUNTIFS: Like SUMIFS, counts the number of times certain criteria are met.

• VLOOKUP: Cross reference data across multiple sheets. Use it to track an individual’s salary over multiple years (i.e., sheets) with a unique name or ID number.

• IMPORTDATA: Imports data at a given url in .csv format (available only in Google Sheets). When coupled with an automated daily export from a general ledger, this data can include budget and year-to-date transaction data.

ARTICLE

STUDENT REGISTRATION

The traditional process of registering students is a perennial and time-intensive undertaking for both parents and schools.

For parents, it often involves a packet full of paper, color-coded instructions and re-writing their child’s name, grade and address over and over and over again. For schools, registration typically requires months of preparation, boxes of paper, expensive postage printers and clerical overtime. While student registration is rarely a process that directly involves the business office, it is foundational information that is necessary for all operational functions, including food service, transportation, information services and finance.

Every district has a student information system (SIS), but few are built with parent-facing registration features. Whether you choose to create a custom solution or utilize a third-party integration, the SIS itself must be extended.

Benefits: • Convenience for parents and students • Eliminates redundant forms and information exchange • Significantly reduces staff efforts while improving customer service • Support for multiple languages

Key Considerations: • Workflow and information interdependencies between departments and schools • Accommodations for families that do not have access to computers • Real-time data (import/export) with verification controls

High Medium Low

ROI

Complexity

Customer Satisfaction

HOW TO ACTUALLY AUTOMATE

Automating school business office functions may be accomplished by either hiring staff or consultants to write custom code or by purchasing third-party data integrations. Both routes have their pros and cons:

CUSTOM CODE

PROS • Highly adaptable and designed to match current practices and data systems • Tends to be implemented incrementally and evolves as practices change • Seamless experience and single interface for end users CONS • Management and coordination of personnel • Regular patching and updates to maintain security

THIRD-PARTY SOLUTIONS

PROS • Usually implemented quickly • Does not require technical staff to install • Simple or little maintenance required

CONS • Usually requires multiple interfaces for end users • May not be fully adaptable to current practices and data systems • Typically requires costly annual maintenance contracts • May involve sharing and storing sensitive and personally identifiable data with third parties

WHICHEVER ROUTE IS MOST APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, KEEP THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS IN MIND: 1. Automate the processes that have the highest return on investment first.

2. Start small and simple, but think big. Automation can get complex quickly and some options may not be easy to implement in the future if they were not considered on the front-end.

3. Remember that automation can make good practices great, but bad practices worse. In some cases, changing current workflows and policies is better than automating them at all. www.iasbo.org

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BRINGING YOUR DATA TO LIFE It

is a common colloquialism that a picture is worth a thousand words. If your thousand words are about your school district’s current financial health or recent student assessment results and your audience is your school board or your community, that picture may be worth considerably more. Education is a complex field with many acronyms and lots of jargon. As the amount of education data captured grows exponentially and the expectations for transparency grow as well, being able to distill that data into easily-consumed visualizations will become even more critical.

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By Stephen W. Miller

ARTICLE

SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER FORECAST5 ANALYTICS, INC.

Wes Karsten

RELATIONSHIP MANAGER FORECAST5 ANALYTICS, INC.

THE POWER OF VISUALIZATIONS Before Microsoft PowerPoint had even debuted, ushering in the modern era of presenting, a 1986 University of Minnesota/3M study highlighted the value of using visuals in presentations. In the study it was determined that presentations using visual support were 43 percent more persuasive.1 Additionally, the study recommends using presentation support to improve audience attention, comprehension, agreement and information retention. As you present your district’s data, either internally or externally, at least one of these items is probably one of your intended goals.

Researchers also found that visual aids can make the “typical” presenter as effective as a “better” presenter. Even more interesting, the study showed that the better the presenter, the more the presenter needs effective visual support. As you become a better presenter make sure that your visual supports are growing with you so that neither component diminishes the impact of the other.

CREATING VISUALS THAT WORK When shopping for a diamond, you’re coached to look at the “Four Cs” — carat, cut, color and clarity. In assessing your presentations, you can use these “Four Cs” by replacing the first two — color, clarity, consumption and consistency.

COLOR While he was discussing architecture, Mies van der Rohe’s famous quote of “less is more” certainly applies to color and other key elements of visualizations. The University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Communication provides a number of tips for using visual aids, including: “do not allow the visual aid to overwhelm the speech itself.”2 Keep your charts, graphs and other visualizations simple. Charts and graphs are intended to simply tell a complex story rather than trying to tell that entire story in a visual way. “Visual aids are not crutches to lean on, but rather lampposts to illuminate.”2 CLARITY Most of you who regularly present to your school board, or in similar situations, are familiar with the public speaking tip to “know your audience.” This is certainly important, especially when you are dealing with diverse school boards and communities with vastly different levels of experience with whichever education subject you may be presenting. When it comes to using visualizations to assist in communicating your story, it is equally important to know your room.

• What is the lighting and AV setup in your board room?

• Does that answer change depending on the location (if your meetings rotate to different facilities throughout the year)?

Be sure to allow yourself the time to test a new setup before a meeting, as a lack of visual clarity will leave you with a frustrated audience if the AV setup is not conducive to viewing your materials. Do not just look at the setup from the board table or your presentation podium. Consider how it looks for the citizen in the back row.

CONSUMPTION In considering the third “C”, are you providing handouts?

Will the presentation be posted on the district’s website?

Something that works well during the meeting with a high-definition projector, a large screen and an effective speaker may be much less effective to a different audience consuming it on a computer monitor without your commentary. It may be helpful to have a second version for publication with different font sizes with your speaker notes.

CONSISTENCY Lastly, while you live with your district’s budget, teacher contract or ESSA implementation strategies on a daily basis, your board and community do not. Having consistency in your own presentations as well as in those of other administrative team members can aid your audience.

Building a budget presentation from scratch every year can be time consuming as well as confusing for the audience.

If you can use similar formats from month to month or year to year for recurring presentations, you can lessen the learning curve.

TELLING YOUR STORY In addition to the visual specifications of your presentation, perhaps the most important element is how you present the visuals. Having visuals is key, but if there is no flow, structure or organization, even the best-built graphics may lead nowhere. You need a story. Ensuring that your presentation has a beginning, middle and end (including a call to action) will ensure that your audience “gets it.” A great story without visuals will be ineffective, as will great visuals without a story.

As the finance administrator of the district, having a good story and visuals is perhaps even more important than other roles, as you are constantly responsible for developing strategies. Even the best, most thought out, strategies are only as good as your ability to align the organization and stakeholders behind them. If there is no buy-in, there is no implementation.

How can you turn budget numbers into a good story? The first step is to integrate the financial operations of the district with the rest of the district’s operations. Have you ever been part of a board session where hours were devoted to the discussion of field trips, classroom purchases, curriculum changes, etc., only to have your budget proposal approved in minutes? There was a time when this was viewed as a positive; not anymore. This sad reality exists because many board members do not understand school finance and the school budget is viewed as a standalone entity. Business officials need to change this paradigm and make their boards and stakeholders care about the district’s financials. Connecting financial operations with curricular decisions is a great starting point. Look at your strategic plan with the various initiatives — does your budget align? A community member should be able to look at a school district’s budget and have a good sense for what is being prioritized in the strategic plan before even looking at it. Does your budget reflect district goals?

Does your board understand this?

Another, related idea, is to look backwards at the previous years’ budgets and ask: • Did outcomes match dollars invested?

• Did the dollars invested in Project X produce the outcomes we were hoping for?

• If not, how are we adjusting? What might we do differently with those dollars?

Thinking along these lines and asking these types of questions will not only lead to sound budget development processes for the entire organization, but will also lead to more engagement, excitement and understanding from the board and community.

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2018

ARTICLE / Data Visualizations

BRINGING DATA TO LIFE If you are the chief school business official for your district, while you wear many hats when it comes to your interactions with your board or community, one of your primary activities will be storytelling and presenting data. Whether it is the budget, tax levy, audit, collective bargaining comparatives or just your monthly Treasurer’s Report, the ability to effectively tell your story will benefit you and your district, as your peers can attest.

Saad Bawany, then Data Analyst at Oak Park Elementary District 97 stated, “the use of peer groups and comparative analysis did wonders for our referendum committee. Not only did it help us internally evaluate our financial performance compared to similar districts, but also for presenting to the community. We were able to communicate that we had been good stewards of the local tax dollars from the last referendum while also displaying the impact of rising costs and ballooning enrollment that necessitated another referendum.”

Retired Associate Superintendent for Lake Forest Districts 67 and 115, Allen Albus recounts an instance where a visualization changed the outcome of a board vote: “A few years ago, a couple members of the board stated that they were going to propose a levy below the product of the Tax Cap formula. In anticipation, the administration used a simple illustration to show why the district should levy the full amount allowed under the formula. The graph illustrated how other local and state revenue sources had been decreasing since the beginning of the recession. After the administrative presentation, the board voted 7-0 to approve the levy as presented. Later, one of the board members stated that the graphics presented made him change his mind.”

These types of data storytelling successes are not uncommon, but also are not skills that develop overnight. Own your data, strategize how best to present it and create an environment where it integrates with the priorities that your board and community have established for the district. Lastly, leverage your peers. Colleagues both within and outside your organization can provide valuable feedback and a fresh set of eyes that is not as immersed in the data as you are.

Footnotes 1. Persuasion and the Role of Visual Presentation Support: the UM/3M Study. Douglas Vogel, Gary Dickson, Kohn Lehman. Management Information Systems Research Center, School of Management, University of Minnesota, 1986 2. Visual Aids. Department of Communication – University of Pittsburgh. www.comm.pitt.edu/visual-aids

www.iasbo.org

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CULTURAL COMPETENCY: ADAPTING TO DIVERSE STUDENT NEEDS

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UPDATE Magazine / Summer 2018

By Ryan T. Berry

ARTICLE

CHIEF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIAL SKOKIE SD 68

Because our society is rich in diversity, cultural awareness has become increasingly important. When it comes to education, our job as administrators is to make sure all children, no matter their background, feel safe and have equitable opportunities to succeed. When making important decisions, one question we always keep in the forefront of our minds is “What is best for our students?” In District 68, sixty-one percent of our children speak a language other than English in their home. Our job as school business officials is to manage funds in a way that will allow for the best possible educational opportunities, programs and curricula for all students while maintaining financial stewardship of our district’s resources.

EXAMINING CURRENT PRACTICES

Recently there has been a national spotlight on federal court cases regarding the civil rights of public school students who identify as transgender. In response to District 68’s evolving demographic, district administration has started considering changes in policies and procedures regarding equitable opportunities and facilities for all of our students. In an effort to be proactive, we have started cultural competency and proficiency training at the administration and school leadership levels. We have engaged in enlightening conversations such as cultural sensitivity, inclusion relative to the LGBTQ community and our own personal awareness. Our conversations have highlighted potential cultural biases that we may not have even known existed. Through the work of our training, we have been able to take a step back in order to try to identify how and why we do certain things. Many times the answer is because “that is how it has always been done” or “that is how we were taught.”

However, when we look at certain tasks with multiple perspectives, we have noticed that many of our past practices could be considered to be culturally insensitive, such as sectioning our students. Our past practice for grouping students was based on distributing diversity amongst all sections. This provides the appearance of equality for each teacher and it is really to benefit the nondiverse students. Studies have shown that diverse students need to not be separated as token representations of their group and may indeed benefit from having other students they can identify with in their classroom. Additionally, our past practice did not provide the best educational conditions to offer targeted instruction to students in need like sectioning based on language proficiency or educational ability would.

www.iasbo.org

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MAKING IMPACTFUL CHANGE

CREATING A CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

In the spring of 2017, District 68 started an English Learners (EL) Learning Team to compare the district’s current EL programming to best practice. After months of studying best practices and visitng other districts within the Chicagoland area, the learning team was able to present systematic change recommendations to the District 68 Board of Education. Changes included methods, strategies and justifications for how students are put into different sections. Recommendations were also made providing considerations for how our students learn, the academic conditions the district provides for the students and teachers, building competence for our staff and the culture we create within our staff to believe that “all students can and will learn.”

The academic conditions that we provide our staff and students can also be cost efficient. Creating curriculum maps and common assessments for students with different backgrounds that seek to eliminate cultural bias should only create immaterial additional costs. It does take additional time and energy of building level staff, but once the district mindset has changed, the staff will know it is well worth the effort. The shift that could cost the district some funds is instructional materials and books that showcase diversity and different cultures. One important investment to make that ensures culturally aware and inclusive academic conditions is the purchase of instructional materials and books that students are able to see themselves in, showcase diversity and that are available in students’ home languages.

Many of the proposed changes came without increasing district expenses. Creating the cultural awareness of our staff and building their competencies for how EL and diverse student populations learn is relatively cost free.

It does take time, patience and the guidance of experts, but the significance of changing district policies and procedures to become more equitable to our EL population is far more important.

Additionally, context matters, but it should not be costly.

Many districts are able to provide the best learning conditions, but they must also provide appropriate expectations for all students and provide a continuous and consistent educational experience. Ensuring that the culture of high expectations is a pervasive belief might also take time to develop, but the time investment will be well worth it.

THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

Creating the EL Learning Team allowed us to better understand student needs and why changes were necessary. By changing our EL program from a standard pullout model, to a less restrictive model where students receive targeted instruction in their homeroom, we were able to reduce the number of teachers needed to provide instruction to our EL students and re-utilize the building space where students were pulled out for small group instruction. Working together, we were able to create a more cost efficient, proficient educational environment for all students. Additionally, our SBO was able to work with the district’s EL director, allowing the SBO to better understand student needs and why changes were necessary. This was an invaluable experience for our SBO. We all know that classrooms do not look like they did 15 years ago. Not that long ago we were trying to put smartboards in every classroom. That was the wave of the future. Now, we are about to complete our third year of a one-to-one initiative where every student between grades one and eight has their own device. Whether it is technology, flexible learning furniture or the cultural backgrounds of the students, we know that the world of education is forever changing. If school administrators do not adapt and change, we truly are not helping to provide all of our students the best education possible.

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UPDATE Magazine / Summer 2018

RESOURCES Turn Life Goals into Habits Whether you realize it or not, there is an operating system running your life known as the compound effect. The small choices that we make, without thinking, shape us into the person we are today and the person we will become.

In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy argues that the best way to reach your personal development goals is to make a small change that you can achieve daily. Eventually these small, consistent changes turn into habits that are ingrained in your daily routine and have a big payoff over time.

Build Momentum The most difficult aspect of making a change is making sure it sticks. That’s where momentum comes in. Hardy uses the illustration of pushing the merry-go-round on the playground.

Getting it started is difficult, but once it gets moving it is difficult to stop.

Small decisions made consistently over time turn into habits. Once an action becomes a habit, you do it without thinking, and you can build on the foundation you have set up. Once you have momentum on your side, you can continue to succeed with less work.

Push Through Limits Eventually, in the journey to reach your goals, you will hit a roadblock that is difficult to overcome. For example, you may stop losing weight or not be able to run any further. That is when you capitalize on the momentum you have built up to smash through those metaphorical walls.

The key is to make small tweaks to the routine you have built up, like just drinking water for dinner for a few extra days or running more distance on an easier route. Finding tweaks like these to make your momentum work for you will allow you to push past your limits faster, thus creating more momentum and making the compound effect stronger.

On My List The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success

By Darren Hardy

Overview: Your life is the result of your moment to moment choices.

This is the crux of The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Big moments and choices are what stand out to us, but it is in the small, daily, seemingly insignificant decisions where the power to change and develop ourselves truly lies.

The Compound Effect will show you why big, abrupt changes rarely work and how you can change your life over time with the power of small, daily steps, a routine that builds momentum and the courage to break through your limits when you reach them.

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” www.iasbo.org

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The Future of Schools Resources to prepare you for what’s next.

Stay Current on Issues that Could Impact Your District pg. 18-21 GET FAMILIAR WITH TITLE 34 EDUCATION Title 34 puts Title IX amendments into force. The purpose is to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Learn the rules of Title IX and how it impacts your district.

www.iasbo.tools/title34 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR DISTRICT Learn about a recent court case that has made an impact on how schools should treat transgendered students.

Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District www.iasbo.tools/wvk DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTERS See the letters from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education that have shaped recent school district guidelines and policy.

www.iasbo.tools/dearcolleague www.iasbo.tools/dearcolleague2

Have you accessed the new peer2peer community?

Illinois ASBO members can find and share resources in the new peer2peer community.

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UPDATE Magazine / Summer 2018

RESOURCES

Improve Your Presentations pg. 32-35 PERSUASION AND THE ROLE OF VISUAL PRESENTATION SUPPORT Get an in-depth perspective on why and how visual aids increase the persuasiveness and effectiveness of presentations.

www.iasbo.tools/visualaid UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURG DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION Gain key tips and insights on how to best utilize visual aids for your next presentation.

www.iasbo.tools/visualaidtips

Summer Reading on the Future of Education THE PRECARIOUS FUTURE OF EDUCATION

By Jan Jagodzinski This book examines the challenges weighing on the future of education in the face of globalization in the twenty-first century.

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA: TOWARD A DIGITAL FUTURE

By Christine Greenhow and Julia Sonnevend Leading scholars from a variety of disciplines explore the future of education, including social media usage, new norms of knowledge, privacy, copyright and MOOCs. #EDJOURNEY: A ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

By Grant Lichtman With examples from around the country, #EdJourney maps out how administrators and teachers can embrace the innovation process that schools and learners need now.

NEUROTEACH: BRAIN SCIENCE AND THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

By Glen Whitman and Ian Kelleher Teachers are brain changers. It is imperative that teachers have an understanding of how the brain receives, filters, consolidates and applies learning for both the shortand long-term.

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

By Deborah Killion Specifically written to help educators, teachers and administrators think about what they want for their schools and their students, this book takes a deep dive into the essence of educational process, technology and how to strike a balance between tools of the past and the future to best help kids. www.iasbo.org

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THE FINAL WORD AN UP AND COMING SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIAL’S TAKE ON

THE FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION TREVOR J. MOORE CSBO Student

A Fulfilling Career Path I started my career in an unrelated field and then made the decision to stay home with my young children. This time away from full time work allowed me to think about what kind of career would fulfill me emotionally during the next few decades of my life. I realized that many children are not as fortunate as my own kids to have well-funded and quality schools in their community and that strong leadership is needed to advocate for educational improvements. I am thankful to the generations that have worked so hard to provide opportunities I can pass along to my children, and I am ready to pay it forward.

Making the CSBO Approachable The most conspicuous role Illinois ASBO has played in my career is the partnership with NIU to provide affordable and approachable CSBO licensure courses for professionals in all stages of life. I hope this program continues to develop the next generations of SBOs. I look forward to being a part of a group that values colleagues and information sharing like I have not seen elsewhere. Everyone I have had the pleasure to meet at Illinois ASBO events seems to care about those who are just entering the profession and understands that providing guidance to aspiring business officials will allow their legacy to be felt for years to come.

Changing the Conversation Public education has long been fighting a perception battle in local communities where the resources required to educate children are viewed as an expense rather than an investment.

I hope SBOs can assist in moving the conversation toward positivity in funding the worthy investment of public education. Financially supporting high quality education in every community provides unimaginable returns to future generations. It may even be possible that funding public education at historically high levels and improving the earliest of social interventions could save taxpayers money when more kids become productive members of their communities.

Looking Into the Future…

While this is not exclusive to school business officials, I would like to see administrators take on a more supportive and service-oriented role in districts. Instead of directing from the top of the organizational chart and deciding how to best improve educational outcomes, I hope administrators can find more opportunities to ask teachers and other staff, “What do you need from me?” This is a difficult ask when time and resources are scarce, but I think we all can learn by supporting and listening to those who are working with children on a daily basis.

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UPDATE Magazine / Summer 2018

Registration is

NOW OPEN!

Arlington International

Racecourse

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INOIS ILL A

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OL BU HO SI SC

Register today at www.iasbo.org/gala

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2018 REGIONAL CONFERENCES SAVE THE DATE!

The Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) and the Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators (IASPA) are excited to partner together to bring you two full-day professional development opportunities this fall!

EAST PEORIA OCTOBER 24, 2018

O'FALLON

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Superintendents, business managers, human resources directors and office support staff can learn about a variety of school business, human resources and community engagement topics.

REGISTRATION OPENS IN AUGUST

For more details visit: www.iasbo.org/regionalconf

IASPA Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators